StimScience

About StimScience

StimScience, operating under the consumer brand Somnee, is a Berkeley-based company founded in 2017 that is focused on the consumer sleep technology market. The firm was established by a team of neuroscientists from the University of California, Berkeley, including Dr. Matthew Walker, Dr. Robert Knight, Dr. Rich Ivry, and Dr. Ram Gurumoorthy. This founding group possesses decades of experience in sleep research and non-invasive brain stimulation. Ram Gurumoorthy, the Chief Technology Officer, previously served as CTO at NeuroFocus, a neuromarketing company acquired by Nielsen, and has a background in medical technologies at GE. The company's leadership was later strengthened by CEO Tim Rosa, who was formerly the CMO at Fitbit and played a key role in its growth and eventual acquisition by Google.

StimScience operates on a direct-to-consumer business model, targeting individuals seeking to improve their sleep quality. The company's core product is the Somnee Smart Sleep Headband, a wearable device that utilizes closed-loop transcranial electrical stimulation (tES). This technology, which has been used safely in other neurological applications for decades, involves a 15-minute session before bed where the device's EEG+ sensors read the user's brainwave patterns. A proprietary algorithm then delivers personalized, low-intensity electrical stimulation (tACS) to gently guide the brain into a state more conducive to sleep. After the session, the headband is removed for the night. In-house studies with beta users indicated the device could halve the time it takes to fall asleep and reduce overnight movement by over a third.

The business generates revenue through the sale of the headband and a recurring subscription model. The initial purchase of the device is priced around $299-$399. The subscription is required for ongoing personalization of the stimulation models and includes a regular supply of replacement hydrogel electrode pads, which are necessary for the device to function and need to be replaced every few days. The accompanying mobile application provides users with data and insights, including a Sleep Readiness Score, brain mapping visualizations, and a sleep journal to track habits and progress. The company has secured significant seed funding, raising a total of $10 million in a round led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from investors like Marc Benioff's TIME Ventures and the ownership group of the Orlando Magic NBA team.